


Encounter

by jazzaiko



Series: One Are We [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Bittersweet, Calm Before The Storm, Clones, EXO Obsession, First Meetings, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Red Force, X-Baekhyun, X-EXO, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21558184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazzaiko/pseuds/jazzaiko
Summary: When patrolling, Chen meets someone who looks like Baekhyun, but not Baekhyun. Who is he?
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Series: One Are We [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704934
Comments: 15
Kudos: 105





	Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I really love EXO x X-EXO concept!! Saw a lot of amazing fics but a lot of them are explicit..  
> I wanted to read a general one and then I remembered I can write lol so I wrote it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this short fic ^^  
> Unbeta-ed so I apologize for mistakes

The dried leaves rustle under his feet as Chen treads the forest, patrolling. He stops in his tracks and lighten his steps, trying not to make noise. His eyes fleeting left and right cautiously, stealth mode on.

His ears picked up noises of snapping branches and loud footsteps. Thump thump thump. Whoever is coming wears rather heavy shoes, combat boots maybe.

 _Is it one of the guards looking for them?_ passes Chen’s train of thought, but the steps sound too casual and noisy for a trained soldier. He cocks his ears, trying to catch more sound. Nothing. It seems like there’s only one person.

He senses power emanating from the person, familiar and bright. A white light glows in the fog. _Is it Baekhyun?_ Earlier, he and Baekhyun did split up to cover more grounds. He approaches closer, peeking behind the tree, trying to peer through the fog. He spots white hair. There is white ball of light in his hand - the energy is definitely Baekhyun’s. The face looked similar to Baekhyun. But something feels off. His eyes catches glints of light reflecting from the person’s face - the person has a string of silver chain decorating his face, the long ends dangling from behind his ears. He seems confused wandering in this foggy forest, walking in circles. 

Baekhyun knows this area well, he won’t get lost, albeit his lacking sense of direction compared to Chen’s. A realization formed in his mind. His heartbeats doubled.

This person is not the Baekhyun he knows.

Chen stays hidden, but his ears caught something else. A sob. There is no one else, so the sound must have came from Not-Baekhyun. _He cried?_ Chen scrunches his face, trying to get a better view of his expression. Yes, he is crying. Tears flowed from droopy pair of eyes that shaped just like his Baekhyun’s. He looks like a helpless lost puppy. He must be wondering how to get back to wherever he came from. Chen’s heart aches. He wants to help. He just can’t leave this person alone. He internally curses his soft-heartedness, silently praying that nothing bad will happen, then slowly leaping out from behind the trees.

“Hey, are you lost?”

Not-Baekhyun looks at Chen, his eyes glassy with tears. But the expression soon lights up. “Oh, finally someone’s here! Please help me go back. I don’t know this area.”

Chen scans Not-Baekhyun from head to toe. He wears full black outfit, doesn’t seem to bring any visible weapons on his body. One layer of Chen’s guard dropped.

“Okay, don’t cry. I will help you,” Chen replies, adding a warm smile on his face. A smile that he knows people would fall for and get them to trust him.

Not-Baekhyun smiles in return. He looks so beautiful and ethereal. “Thank you. I’m Baëkhyun. And you?”

Chen is about to utter his name but something in his gut feeling tells him not to. He decides on his other name instead, “I’m Jongdae.”

“Jongdae, huh? Hmm you looked quite familiar, honestly,” Baëkhyun observes his face, studying it. “Oh really?” Chen replies.

“Yeah. I am on a mission to search for this group called EXO. Your face hmm,” Baëkhyun stares at Chen closely, making him uncomfortable, “You look so similar to someone named Chen I’m ordered to search. But hmm…” he put his hand on his chin, thinking, “...your hair and everything is different.”

Chen’s heart raced. He tries to calm it down before speaking. “Hmm, I am told I have a common face. Hahaha,” he forces a laugh, “How does this Chen person look like?”

Baëkhyun ponders for a while, “Chen is supposedly blonde, has bright face and very skinny. But…” he gestures to Chen’s black hair and glancing from top to down, observing Chen’s body, “you are not. I guess you are really not Chen then.”

That was the look he sported when he and the rest of EXO escaped from The Red Force lab they were experimented on. His curly hair is back to natural black, he has matured and bulked up since then. Not to mention that the rest told that his expression has hardened, inevitable from what they have been through. It had been two years of hardships, running away and hiding, filled with fear, stress, worry, and no peaceful rest since they had to keep moving. But they are holding on. At least, they are together.

“Which direction did you come from?” Chen asks. “We can backtrack and got you back.”

“I don’t know,” Baëkhyun frowns, “but I remember there was a super tall tower from where I came from.”

Tall tower, huh. Aside from crumbling skyscrapers and structures destroyed from explosions and oppression, there are four buildings left standing tall in this place, some near and some far. Chen knows the direction to the ridiculously tall tower, it’s quite nearby. “I know where it is. Follow me.”

Baëkhyun tags beside him, filled with enthusiasm. It warms Chen’s heart. Although from outside he looks different, he shares a lot of similarities with his Baekhyun.

Chen coaxes him to spill more. “Why are you here? Alone?” he asks as he strolls.

Baëkhyun suddenly giggles, “Promise me you won’t laugh.”

“I won’t,” Chen replies, his tone assuring.

Baëkhyun explains, “I was awakened just a few days ago. I’m supposed to stay in HQ until further notice, but I got bored. There’s nothing to do. So I use my power to disguise himself and sneak out. But then I got lost out here. So foolish of me, right.” He pouts, whacking his own forehead with his fist. So cute, Chen feels like squishing him.

However, he can’t believe how easily Baëkhyun spilled things. So naive and so trusting, despite the strong power Chen senses in him.

He turns to face Baëkhyun, his expression kind and comforting. “Don’t worry. I will get you back to where you came from.”

“Thank you, Jongdae,” Baëkhyun smiled back.

They keep walking. Once in a while, Chen stops to lift stray branches so it won't hit their heads, gives his hand to pull Baëkhyun when there is a steep hike.

"You remind me of my partner Chën," Baëkhyun comments, "He is caring and attentive. But you are nicer. And you smiled more. Chën loves his smirk too much."

Chen chuckles. "Thanks, I guess. How is Chën?"

Chen digs more info about his counterpart Chën, who Baëkhyun describes has sleek black hair, ear pierced with chain connecting to his snake bite piercings. Chën has the power of thunder (same like him). Baëkhyun says there are more in their team than just him and Chën. In total, there are eight of them with various powers: water, fire, wind manipulation, frost, force, also teleportation. But there are two who have yet to awaken and Baëkhyun has yet to meet.

The small talks make their journey feels a lot faster. Without realizing, they have arrived to the outskirts of the forest near the tower.

"Oh yes, this was the place," Baëkhyun responds after surveying the surroundings. His eyes sparkle, lips forming a wide smile. “Thank you for helping me find my way back.”

“No need to say thanks,” Chen grins. He adds, “And don’t mention to anyone that you went out and got lost. Later you will get in trouble.” He runs his hand fondly over Baëkhyun’s fluffy white hair, giving it gentle pats. Baëkhyun sighs in contentment under the touch and nods. 

“Will we meet again?” Baëkhyun asks, his eyes like a puppy. It breaks Chen’s heart knowing that they probably have to fight each other the next time they cross paths. “I don’t know,” he replies, his tone heavy. “But if fate wills it, we shall meet again.” 

He walks away and waves Chen goodbye. Chen waves back. In a moment, Baëkhyun disappears from his sight, probably using his light manipulation powers to make himself invisible. Chen notices the unattended gate opens and closes by itself. That must be Baëkhyun.

Glad that his guest has safely returned, Chen retreats to a hidden area. Reaching out to his telepathy, he informs the others. "Chen reporting. Guys, listen up. I have found the source of anomaly earlier and also the Red Force headquarters." 

Suho's voice can be heard. "Are you sure? Where?"

"The south tower,” Chen replies, eyes still glancing around cautiously. “And apparently in the past 2 years, they tried making clones of us and succeeded. I met one of them earlier."

"No! Jongdae, are you hurt?" Baekhyun's voice chimes in, sounding worried.

"I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. The clone seems rather... dumb? Naive? He looks like you, Baek," Chen explains. 

“What? Me? I have a clone?” Chen feels dazed because Baekhyun literally shouted into his mind.

“Shh, you are so loud, what the hell Baek?” Chen whines. “Anyway, what's the plan?"

"Come back. We need to strategize," Suho commands. 

If the Red Force is down, they will finally be free. He might be able to save their counterparts too, Baëkhyun and his friends.

"Alright. Let's crush the Red Force once and for all." 

**Author's Note:**

> After I finished writing, I feel this short fic can open up to a whole big story.. I have an idea to continue the story.  
> Sorry I have to edit this fic a little bit.  
> And here's the long awaited continuation, [One Are We](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23526775/)~~ 
> 
> Thanks for reading ^^
> 
> Talk to me & follow me on [twitter @b2utifulife!](https://twitter.com/b2utifulife)


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